


Only Then I am Clean

by NevaRYadL



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: (Raiden sews Shinnok's head back on), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Angst, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death Fix, Crude Surgery, Explicit Language, Mentioned Character 'Death', Mentioned Character Torture, Purification, Suicidal Thoughts, sort of....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23190457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NevaRYadL/pseuds/NevaRYadL
Summary: Raiden suddenly finds himself cleansed of his darkness and now... now he must deal with the aftermath of what Dark Raiden has done
Comments: 5
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: Mentioned gore/injury (Raiden sews Shinnok's head back on), angst, mentioned torture and canon typical violence
> 
> idk what I'm doing so idk if this is a one shot of that shaiden fic that I've always wanted to do, anyway this is part of my Ablution Timeline

His only saving grace against his shaking hands was that Shinnok could not fight him as he restitched the Elder God’s head back to his body.

Despite having bled out some time ago, the pale and drawn and uncared for flesh still managed to bleed some as he pushed the hook needle through time and time again to give Shinnok’s body an anchor of sorts to work with as it would eventually heal. Raiden tried to not think of the gummy blood smearing against his fingers and across the wound as he feverishly worked to anchor Shinnok’s head back on his body. Tried to not think of the absolute terror in Shinnok’s eyes as they looked at him, helpless to stop him with his spinal cord having been severed. Tried to not think about the hell that Shinnok had endured in such a brief time.

“I have you, I have you,” Raiden panted as he pulled the last stitch through. He snapped the thread with his fingers and simply threw the needle and thread away before rushing to get more supplies. Bandages to keep anything out of the flesh as it would labor to heal and a crude brace of sorts that would allow Raiden to safely move Shinnok without pulling on the stitches.

He ended up using a board for the brace, using lengths of cloth to secure Shinnok to it, wrapped around his shoulders, torso and waist to avoid any possible strain against his tender and weak head and neck. And then carefully he picked up, held him carefully in his arms and teleported to the jinsei.

The jinsei was… a sorry sight. Dark and the stones tinged with Raiden’s previous corruption. Stones had cracked and crumbled without Raiden’s care. The jinsei itself barely streamed energy. But it was, just enough to jumpstart Shinnok’s healing, give him a fighting chance to do so. So Raiden laid him as close to the healing energy as he could before looking over the destroyed jinsei chamber and feeling a tremor of something foul shudder through his soul as he took to repairing the chamber as best he could.

* * *

The jinsei chamber looked a better sight almost a day later.

The stones were back to their usual peaceful darker blue color and the jinsei itself was releasing more energy. A few of the stoneworks had been repaired as well, but to repair it all would take a dedicated week. But still, after almost a day it looked better and Raiden felt better for having fixed what he could.

Shinnok had not moved.

When Raiden checked on him, the terror remained and he was more at peace with the fact that Shinnok was afraid of him. Rightfully. The horrors that this dark counterpart had done would never be washed away.

Fearful that his not moving was due in part to not enough healing being done and meaning that even with the jinsei’s aid that he would not heal for some time, Raiden instead carefully picked Shinnok up once again and teleported into Sky Temple. When he reappeared, he was grateful that the temple looked uncared for in several weeks, but otherwise did not appear to have any major damage done to it.

He took Shinnok to a spare room that had a bed made up, undid the brace. And after a thought, removed Shinnok’s armor while leaving him in his underthings to give him a sense of comfort, piled a blanket on top of him and left him to rest without the stress of his presence, stepping outside the room and--

“Fujin.”

Fujin looked him over. His younger brother looked… frazzled and tired and--

Fujin running-tackle hugged him and just started miserably sobbing into his chest.

“I have you, sweet brother of mine, I have you,” Raiden said quietly, hugging his brother to his chest.

It took some time for Fujin to calm down. Each second broke Raiden’s heart, wondering what his Dark self had done but unable to remember minute details through the haze that the corruption of Shinnok’s amulet had done to his mind and memory. He still comforted his brother through it, holding him close and letting him get out what was far too long of pent up emotions. Through and through until Fujin’s crying softened, slowed and then stopped and Raiden merely held his sniffling younger brother to his chest.

“I thought you were gone forever,” Fujin sniffled after several quiet moments.

“I… I am truly sorry, sweet brother of mine,” Raiden said, stroking his brother’s hair.

“What happened? We all thought you lost.”

“I do not know myself. Just that I was my darker counterpart and suddenly I had a compulsion to tear Shinnok’s amulet off myself and cast it aside with all my strength and power. After a few moments, I was freed from the evil that had taken my mind,” Raiden explained.

“Shinnok’s amulet corrupted you? Where is it now?”

“It disintegrated into nothingness. I… I am sorry Fujin, I do not know what happened. And I do not want to question it. My mind is free and now I must control the damage--”

“Wait, I sense someone… Who did you bring to the temple?”

“When Shinnok’s amulet disappeared, I located Shinnok’s head in the Netherrealm in a short time. It felt… improper to leave him as he was, even if he was evil, to leave him alive and beheaded at the hands of our fallen friends was too cruel. When I located his head however…”

Raiden led his brother into the room. Fujin sucked in a breath at the sight of Shinnok, but quickly calmed upon feeling how weak the fallen Elder God was, almost on par with humans if Raiden wanted to be truthful with himself. Raiden led Fujin to Shinnok’s side and gestured to Shinnok’s eyes. 

They glowed blue.

“Wait… his eyes glowed red when last we fought,” Fujin noted.

“I have a theory,” Raiden started. “That if casting aside Shinnok’s amulet freed my mind from the corruption then perhaps…”

“... Do you think that someone was corrupting Shinnok?”

“It is only a theory. If nothing else, Shinnok is far too weak to do anything. Nor can he move. He was in the jinsei for a full day and it did nothing for healing him, so he will not be able to move for a very long time. It will give me time to see if this theory is correct. If I am, then there may be something even more ominous on the horizon, if it could corrupt such a powerful Elder God. If not, his power will be nothing like it was before and defeating him a second time will be completely possible.”

Fujin nodded.

“We will protect him until then, brother. But the more important thing is that… you’re home.”

Raiden pulled his brother into another hug.

“I’m home, little brother.”

* * *

“You guys gotta have stamina, sometimes a mission is gonna push you, you need to have a damn good threshold to make sure that only the impossible shitshows really make you sweat!” Johnny called from the sidelines of a small indoor track.

Cassie, Jacqui and Takeda and Jin were running laps when Raiden appeared, unsure for a moment on how to approach anyone. Though he did not need to wait long, as Johnny always had this baffling power to ‘sense’ people coming through portals or teleporting near him, and the man suddenly turned around and just stared at him. After several moments of staring at him… Johnny stumbled over and started patting at Raiden’s robes, at his hands and arms, as though he was checking that he was real and still could not trust his hands. Finally tilting his hat up and looking at his eyes.

One of the most relieved sighs Raiden had ever heard rattled out of Johnny’s chest and Johnny threw himself into as much of a hug that he could fit Raiden into.

“Oh my god… Ray-dude…” Johnny croaked.

“I… I am sorry…” Raiden tried, at a loss for words. “I’m… home.”

“Yeah, you are. Jesus fuck, Raiden, we thought we lost you,” Johnny said, relenting to look up at his eyes again just to confirm the soft blue that they glowed, and then hugging him again. “You’re home… you’re home…”

The Kombat Kids had realized what was going on. They hesitated, staying back, but after several moments of watching Johnny hug him, Cassie raced forward and hugged him too.

“I’m home,” Raiden sighed, drawing the two closer to him.

Jacqui, Takeda and Jin joined the hug too.

* * *

“So… you threw aside Shinnok’s amulet and just… are better?” Johnny asked.

They had separated and were now debriefing Sonya. She had given into utter relief and hugged him as well once she too saw that he did not carry the marks of corruption. And then she wanted a debriefing. She wanted to know everything.

“I… I cannot say exactly,” Raiden said.

The chairs and tables in the room were too small for him, but he was exhausted and they were made of metal. He awkwardly sat in the chair pulled away from the table to save some of his tiring energy. Sonya leaned against the table, staring at the surface and grinding her teeth like she did when she was hyper focused on something. Taking in everything with a cool demeanor that Raiden was grateful for. Apparently she was too happy to have the real him back to question anything too deeply or meet it with anger.

“One moment I was my darker self, and then the next I was completely consumed with the impulse to rip Shinnok’s amulet from my person. I ripped it from my armor and threw it. It hit the ground and disintegrated into nothingness. Shortly after I was… myself again. My true self,” Raiden explained. “I wish I had more to give you, but I simply… do not know. I do not know what made me want to throw the amulet aside. I do not know why the amulet disappeared. I do not know why the evil possessing me suddenly left me without Shinnok’s amulet. I have… a theory… that perhaps the amulet was the source of my corruption. But it is only a theory that I cannot confirm without the amulet.”

Sonya mulled over the information. After a moment, Johnny went over and nudged her, pulling out a pack of gum for her to take. Something to dig her teeth too instead of her teeth.

“I… must confess to something else,” Raiden said. “But I beg you to listen to the end. To… give me this to try and understand what happened.”

“What?” Sonya asked.

“When I was freed of the amulet, I went to fetch Shinnok’s body. I thought that being beheaded so long that he at least deserved to be buried properly, or at least handed over to the Elder Gods to tend to or decide the fate of if he was still alive,” Raiden started. “He was alive. But…”

“But what?” Sonya asked, brow dipping dangerously into the beginnings of a frown.

“He was not the same. His presence used to be… “ Raiden hands clenched and unclenched as he tried to explain something that was so normal to the gods to mortals. “His presence used to be like walking through a fresh mass grave, a burning field of war. But when I found him he was… he simply felt like death. Natural and clean. His eyes… his eyes glowed blue.”

“Blue… like yours are now,” Johnny said before pausing. “Wait… so if his eyes glowed red before, and now they glow blue without his amulet…”

“My theory is that Shinnok’s amulet was a source of corruption. And that perhaps, if it could taint my soul, that it did so to Shinnok as well,” Raiden said. “Therefore, I ask that you allow me to house Shinnok at the Sky Temple until I can figure this out.”

“Wait, you have him at the Sky Temple?!” Johnny yelped.

“Raiden, you can’t--” Sonya snapped, now angry.

“I can and I will, Sonya Blade, if there is something out there that tried to twist Shinnok’s mind, make him a tool in a much larger plot, I need to know for the safety of Earthrealm,” Raiden said firmly, staring her down. “If not, then Shinnok’s diminished power will be nothing and I will end his life.”

Sonya mulled this over.

“No one is going to like this--”

“Sonya Blade, I do not threaten lightly. But… I would like to see anyone try and stop me.”

Sonya balked. Johnny looked stunned, eyebrows hitched so high that his sunglasses fell down his nose and exposed his blown wide eyes.

“... Fuck,” Sonya groaned. “Raiden, this is stupid. This is absolute fucking moronic. This is the stupidest goddamn thing you have ever done in your entire immortal life. Ever… But you make a point. I’ll give you time to see if this is right. But I can’t promise that someone won’t just drop a bomb on the Sky Temple if Shinnok starts acting up.”

“He is immobile and likely will be for a long time,” Raiden explained, feeling some relief. “His head was severed and not even the Jinsei helped accelerate his healing. His powers are also pitiful at most. For the time being, Shinnok is more a prisoner of his own body than anything else.”

“... Okay I hate the guy with all my little heart but… damn that sounds rough,” Johnny winced.

“Raiden… I really hope you know what you’re doing…”

* * *

When Raiden returned to Shinnok’s side, the terror was no longer there. Impassive blue eyes merely watched him as he kneeled by his side.

“Shinnok… I believe that someone was trying to corrupt you through your amulet. It was how I was corrupted. If you are perhaps a victim in this grand plan… for a time, I am being allowed to keep you here, until I can prove it. And… I realize that perhaps I am the last person you wish to see. I… I tortured you. I hurt you. I beheaded you and delivered you like a prize to the doorstep of my fallen friends. I will never expect you to trust me. I have no right and I feel myself wiser than that. But know this… I want to help. Even you, my greatest rival through the eons. If you are indeed a tool in someone else's plan… I will aid you. If not, then when you are well again, we will meet in kombat for one final time.”

Shinnok blinked slowly. He was probably unable to do much more.

“I will leave you to rest,” Raiden said, rising to his height. “Is there… is there anyway that I can lessen your torment?”

After a moment, Shinnok bore his teeth. Raiden thought it was the fallen Elder God’s way of angrily and rightfully telling him to leave, and then Shinnok made a slow show of clicking his teeth together.

“... Cold?” Raiden ventured.

Shinnok’s mouth closed. Face and eyes impassive.

“I will bring you a few blankets. This room has a fireplace, I will have a fire built up as well. I promise you Shinnok… I will try and undo even the smallest of pains and torments I have inflicted on you. Your suffering… I cannot promise that it is done. But I swear, I will keep it as minimum as I am fully capable of,” Raiden said.

Shinnok looked impassively at him.

The journey ahead would be long, Raiden thought to himself before going to fetch the blankets and wood for the fireplace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Suicidal thoughts/speaking, poor trauma responses, mentioned character torture and 'death', anger
> 
> Healing is messy

A full month later and Shinnok still could not move.

Raiden checked the wound daily just to see if there was any visible progress. He was always disappointed that there was none. It hardly seemed like the wound did anything other than occasionally bleed thick and cooled blood that seemed more at home in a corpse. So if the man’s spine was healing and reattaching itself to his head to even allow Shinnok to move himself, Raiden had no clue.

“Lightning Bug!”

Raiden nearly jumped.

He had taken to spending at least an hour sitting by Shinnok’s side each day, hoping that another being might bring the man some comfort. If it actually did, Raiden had no idea and Shinnok… Shinnok chose to impassive stare at the ceiling of the room at any given point. Even Johnny’s shout had done nothing, the fallen god merely kept staring impassively up at the ceiling, features tired and worn. 

Raiden left him, leaving the room and following the source of Johnny’s voice until he found the man.

“Hey! There you are! Just doing check-ins,” Johnny grinned when they met. “Also nice work on cleaning up the temple!”

“My thanks, I have been trying to undo the damage as best I can,” Raiden said before gesturing for Johnny to follow him. Away from Shinnok. Johnny had every right to hate Shinnok with every fiber of his being and Raiden worried about the damage that Johnny could do to the still extremely weakened Elder God. “We did lose a tower, apparently I drew demons here for a battle and was tossed into the stoneworks and it collapsed with the force. But, between Fujin and myself, we have already rebuilt half of it.”

“Any worries on the White Lotus end?” Johnny hummed as they walked.

“No. Bo Rai’ Cho, Rayne and Wynd and a few of my other teachers are currently fielding the work of keeping the White Lotus running while I… gather myself,” Raiden hummed.

“Wait… Rain?”

“R-A-Y-N-E, she is a water elemental that came into the White Lotus several centuries ago. She and her twin sister, a wind elemental, protect the students and teach them. They also protect the main White Lotus temple.”

“Oooh, gotcha. Well, that’s good to hear! I bet you're excited about getting back to the students.”

“I am… I just… I am making sure that this lapse in Dark Raiden is permanent. I will not expose my students to my evil.”

“Jeez Raiden, you sound like you got a chronic dark side issue. Lighten up! You’re as cuddling as a polar bear. Protective like one too. That Dark Raiden shit was Shinnok’s amulet, not you… speaking of… speaking of which…”

“No changes. He still cannot move and his powers are too drawn to even use telepathy or any other magical forms of communication.”

“Yikes. You only needed like two days after getting a bunch of bones broken and stabbed by the Re-- er, our friends. Any idea why it’s taking him so long to heal? If he’s healing at all?” Johnny asked.

“No. As an Elder God, his ability to heal should surpass even my own. Even with his powers weakened, his ability to heal even from being beheaded should be something within his power. For him to not heal… I cannot say. My apologies.”

“No need to apologize. I think Sonya’s sleeping better at night knowing that the asshole can’t move.”

I do not, Raiden thought bitterly.

* * *

A full three months later and Shinnok was still unable to move.

Raiden would have been in a full blown panic if the flesh did not start turning pink and agitated about two months after getting his head reattached, the line of the seemingly not healing incision growing less and less creased and turning from a stitched together cut into a healing scar line. Something was healing, though it looked like it was struggling. Raiden changed the bandages daily and started smearing a healing ointment along the wound to encourage it to heal cleanly. He also carried Shinnok to the jinsei about once a week to try and encourage his body to heal itself.

In a fit of desperation, Raiden started speaking with Shinnok. At Shinnok. Trying to fill in the void that he was very much not used to when around Shinnok. Shinnok was all show, ‘glitz and glamor’ as a saying once went, loud and just… loud, monologues and hearing himself speak. Shinnok and silence were simply not two things that could coexist within the same space.

So Raiden spoke.

Little nothings at first. Progress on repairing the damage done to the temple. Tentatively he spoke of getting back into teaching the White Lotus students. The weather. Books that he was reading. He would find a way to fill the silence because Shinnok and silence were not things that could exist together for Raiden’s sanity. And the more time that went on that Shinnok remained still as a corpse, sullenly staring at the ceiling of the room, the more that Raiden’s anxiety chipped away at his sanity.

What he was accomplishing, he did not know. In fact, he found himself slightly endeared towards the fallen Elder God the more he spoke with him and the more he stayed around Shinnok.

“Do you remember when we were younger?” Raiden asked one day. It was raining and he was feeling rather acutely melancholic.

Shinnok did not move, nor did his facial expression change. Raiden had dressed the man in a soft shirt and trousers a brief time after taking off the ruined and blood stained armor and pulled a blanket up to Shinnok’s chest. The pale god almost looked human, almost. He was far too pale to be any shade of healthy, the deep tear stain like scar tissue made black/purple lines down his bone hugging cheeks, and then the blue glowing eyes told a different story. But compared to Shinnok’s normal? This was… something.

“I only remember bits and pieces of my youth. Simply too much time has passed. But I remember pieces of you. I think it was before your corruption, I feel like I remember your eyes being blue or green before. But you also wore those black robes and that bone mask too. They had seemed so dramatic at the time, but considering your armor choices later in your life, they now seem so plain and muted. Even your scythe was simply a curved metal blade on a simple pole.”

Raiden had been sitting by the window and staring at the grey clouds and the rain pouring down on the forest around the temple. When he turned to look, he was surprised to see that Shinnok’s facial expression had changed. He looked… confused and contemplative.

“Is there something wrong?” Raiden asked.

Shinnok frowned deeply, mouth drawn tight and brow creased.

“Still unable to communicate. My apologies… I wish I knew how to accelerate your healing. I have no idea what is causing your healing to just…” Raiden sighed in frustration.

He stood up and stepped towards the door, meaning to leave Shinnok for the time being--

_...den…_

Raiden paused and then turned around, looking around the room before settling his eyes on Shinnok. Shinnok was looking at him. But after standing there for several minutes, there was not another sound. So Raiden wished Shinnok good rest and left for the day.

* * *

Six months and Shinnok could send out weak bits of fragmented sentences through telepathy.

Raiden had to look for the bits of words that Shinnok was sending him each time, the man too weak to form a one sided connection. And even then, he could not form sentences, and putting out word by word obviously frustrated the Elder God and wore out impressively thin patience. But Shinnok seemed better now that there was a thin ability to communicate between the two of them.

“Are you cold?” Raiden asked.

 _...yes…_ Shinnok responded.

Raiden got him another blanket.

The wound around Shinnok’s neck was still not healing. Occasionally Raiden changed the bandages and found blood or raw and open flesh. It always turned Raiden’s stomach, and he started carrying around more pain and antibiotic ointment to use if only to try and soothe the wound. Whether or not it was doing anything, Shinnok refused to comment, no matter how much Raiden tried to prode. Trips to the Jinsei did not seem to help much either.

“I wish I knew why you were not healing,” He grunted out one day, frustrated and at his wits end.

Shinnok was being quiet that day. Not speaking, only staring at the ceiling and not answering Raiden no matter how much he pleaded for an answer. And it bothered him because… this was not Shinnok. Shinnok was flair and wild dramatic style and grand speeches and noise and volume and obviously a man that demanded any and all attention be on him at all times. For him to suddenly be sullen and quiet and withdrawn was… it was not him and--

The thought that _this_ was the real Shinnok that was trapped behind the corruption was making Raiden’s guilt over what he had done all the more acute. To the point that it was painful.

“Shinnok, please, if there is any way that I can help you, please tell me!” Raiden pleaded.

When Shinnok continued to refuse to speak, and Raiden knew that he was outright refusing to speak, Raiden grew _angry_.

“I am trying to help!”

A spark of power tinged the air that was not Raiden’s. It was… an Elder God’s power.

“ _I DO NOT HEAL BECAUSE I DO NOT WISH TO HEAL, YOU FOOL!_ Shinnok’s voice boomed in his mind and sent him to his knees, clutching at the sides of his head as his body reacted painfully to be struck with an Elder God’s undiluted power. Untainted by corruption, Shinnok’s power was _more_ then it was at his corrupted peak and the thought that if Shinnok could dredge that up while being extremely weakened then… if he were restored, he would be feared.

“Why don’t you then?” Raiden asked, still unable to rise.

“ _I WANT TO DIE!_ ”

“You can’t die, you’re an Elder God! You’re THE Elder God of death!”

Shinnok’s fingers _twitched_ where they were laying on the bed. A spark along his spine, a connection. Despite fighting his own recovery at every second, something was _healing_ , despite wishing for an end, something was trying to live.

“You can’t die, so you might as well live.”

“ _YOU’RE A BASTARD RAIDEN! I FUCKING HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!_ ”

“Good, if you hate me then you won’t focus on wanting to die,” Raiden said, shakingly getting to his feet. He staggered out of the room.

Shinnok was still cursing his name and screaming at him.

* * *

The five stages of grief were denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Shinnok seemed to start in depression, roll back into anger and was currently staying in anger. Which was fine, Raiden supposed, it was better than being sullen and depressed and lost in misery. That Shinnok was aiming his anger out then in, and at the right person. He was not at fault for becoming corrupted, not likely. And he would need to pay for the ills he did while he was corrupted, of course. But he lost his head because of Raiden, was tortured at the hands of Raiden. And sure, that was all at the hands of a Raiden corrupted by the same thing that corrupted him, but Raiden would also need to pay. Letting Shinnok sound off his anger at him seemed like a small and pitiful way to start paying his pound of flesh.

Raiden stepped into Shinnok’s room and nonchalantly dodged the book thrown at his head.

“You are getting better at that,” Raiden said.

“ _Hold still while I aim again._ ”

“Come now, there is no need to harm an innocent book,” Raiden said, picking up the book and taking it over to Shinnok’s reading table and putting it back. Shinnok merely frowned at him, unable to do much else, likely having exhausted what little power he had using his weakened powers to lift the book and then throw it. Shinnok gruffed, huffing before giving up and going slack in the bed.

“Your attempt to harm me has failed for the morning, shall I recount the current news instead?” Raiden offered.

“... _Fine._ ”

So Raiden spent his hour with Shinnok recounting the current news, no matter how trivial, with him. When he was done, he took out the phone that the Special Forces had given him and opened the ‘news’ app that Cassandra had installed for him and picked a random news station before leaving it to play, so that Shinnok could have another voice to listen to besides him. In the meantime, he pulled out his own book to read.

When he had regathered his strength, Shinnok used his powers to open his book and re-find his page.

Little steps. One at a time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Trauma, language, mentioned canon typical violence, mentioned character 'death', mentioned body rot (Ermac's body)
> 
> They make strides, but healing is still not always nice

Eight months and Shinnok could finally twitch his fingers. Nerves were finally healing in his spine and allowing the first sparks of movement under his own willpower, instead of spasms as misfiring and misconnected nerve endings tried their best to do their assigned jobs.

Shinnok’s powers were also flourishing as his body healed.

Raiden caught another flung book.

“ _Stop catching them._ ”

“Stop throwing them, the books are innocent. And some of them are almost as old as you are,” Raiden said, resetting the book on stand that he had gotten Shinnok. It was meant to help people with limited mobility read books on their own. Shinnok could not move at all, but he could use his telepathy to move the pages for him.

“ _How else am I supposed to express this rage I have for you at you?_ ”

“Use your words, you can finally ‘speak’ at length.”

“ _You tortured me._ ”

“... I did.”

“ _You beheaded me and gave my head to those undead bastards as a warning._ ”

“... I did.”

“ _They mounted my head like a trophy, Raiden. In my own fucking palace! Do you realize how degrading it was to be treated like a fucking trophy of the hunt in my own home? How long my head sat there and stared at the bones around me, unable to speak, unable to move? Do you know what torture that was?_ ”

“I do not understand the depths of your suffering and I probably never will. But I will not shy away from my crime. I did do those things to you, I am the cause of most of your recent suffering.”

“...”

“Do I surprise you?” Raiden asked Shinnok, turning his head to the pale man in his bed.

“... _Not many would willingly confess to their own crimes, their own sins… that is all. You’re still a bastard for what you did to me and I still hate you._ ”

“And I shall repent as best I can.”

They fell into silence.

“ _...I hate you._ ”

“Okay.”

* * *

“A tablet, G-pa?”

“I think that is what it is called? I recall you saying something about an electronic device solely for the purpose of reading electronically stored books?” Raiden clarified.

“Oh! They’re called e-readers, g-pa,” Cassie said before pausing mid motion to throw another clay pigeon. “Wait… why do you want one again?”

“Cass!” Jin called from down the length of the archery range.

“Yeah yeah!” Cassie called back before pulling her arm and then throwing the clay pigeon with impressive strength. The small disk soared, but ultimately joined the others in getting shattered with one of Kung Jin’s arrows.

“It would not be for me. Modern electronics usually get… ‘fired’ with my naturally occurring electricity. I would like to get one for… my house guest.”

“For Shinnok.”

“If you do not wish to do it, then you only need to say so. I would rather not cause a fight between us,” Raiden sighed, reaching into the box and picking up a clay pigeon and then using his godly strength to throw it. Kung Jin yelped at the speed that it took off ‘flying’ before quickly loading an arrow and shooting and barely managing to break it.

“Can you blame me?”

“No, I can’t.”

Cassie gave him a look, reaching into the box and throwing another clay pigeon.

“I’ll do it for you, not for him.”

“Thank you, Cassandra.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Cassie grumbled as she took another clay pigeon and chucked it.

* * *

“And you’re sure that he still can’t move.”

“He tries very hard to move. But at the moment, the worst is his thin ability to use telekinesis still. Hold a moment, allow me to go first.”

Raiden stepped into the room and caught the thrown pillow. That actually threw him off, turning his gaze to Shinnok, who, without said pillow, was forced to remain flat on his back and looking at the ceiling.

“... You missed.”

“ _Dammit._ ”

“Apologies, he usually throws books at me,” Raiden said as he opened the door further to allow Johnny inside, who clearly braced before hesitantly stepped inside. He looked at Shinnok and winced, hand coming up to his face only for Raiden to reach out and gently touch his wrist to break his thoughts. The hand fell away and Johnny breathed out roughly as Raiden went to put the pillow back underneath Shinnok’s head and prop him back up.

“ _Johnny Cage._ ”

“He cannot understand you, Shinnok. He has no skills in telepathy and yours is still too weakened to project your mental voice out too far or too loud,” Raiden said as he carefully adjusted Shinnok until he laid correctly.

“He better not be talking shit about me,” Johnny grumbled.

“ _I need not say much--_ ”

“Because I beat that bitch, fucked him up good. And the second Cage generation got you again, primadonna bastard,” Johnny snapped.

Shinnok scowled at that.

“... You had D’Vorah put maggots in my face!” Johnny snapped louder, getting angrier the long he looked at Shinnok.

“Johnny,” Raiden said quietly, getting between them. His larger frame meant that Johnny would not be able to see Shinnok. Johnny clearly recoiled at the break in line of sight, scowling rather dark and hard at Raiden’s chest before settling into a cold glare at the fabric.

“I am not saying you cannot be mad at what he has done to you--”

“Do you know--”

“Yes, I know… And I am not saying that you cannot be angry at him for what he has done… I am saying please… do not hit a man while he is clearly down.”

Johnny glared at Raiden’s chest for a moment longer, before scoffing and turning around, walking out the door.

“Check in complete, see ya Raiden.”

When the door slammed shut, Raiden only sighed loudly.

“ _... I have never heard him say your name before._ ”

“Johnny Cage’s usage of nicknames is usually quite telling of his mood. If he is using them, all is well. If he is slipping, he is not well. If he is not using them, well… I will call Cassandra later to check up on him,” Raiden sighed, going over and taking his seat by Shinnok’s bed.

“... _You are risking your familial relations by housing me._ ”

“Yes.”

“... _Why?_ ”

“... I… I love many of my human allies like they are my own family. Many of them quite feel like family and even address me as such. But… I have done you harm. I owe it to you to see you recovered to make up even a small amount of the damage done to you. You? However. Once you are healed… you will have to either hide away from Earthrealm or do what you can to try and repent as well. Even if you were not in control of your actions, you were still used to cause a lot of harm, for many years. If they ever could forgive you.”

Shinnok seemed to ponder that.

Raiden bowed his head to read.

* * *

Nine months and Shinnok could move, in small parts, his fingers, hands and wrists again. He could drag his arms, but Raiden advised against it. Not long after that, before the ten month mark, Shinnok could move his shoulders and arms in small bits as well as move his toes somewhat.

At eleven months, with help, Shinnok could sit up.

“Careful,” Raiden said as he gave Shinnok a hand to grab onto and pull himself up into a sitting position.

The otherwise unnoteworthy action was causing a great deal of stress on Shinnok. Who huffed and panted as he worked muscles that had been idle for perhaps over a year at this point and had thinned out for several reasons. But he forced himself to do it, making sweat bead on his white brow, making himself worn out as he finally sat up and then panted and groaned from the immense effort on his weakened body’s part.

When Shinnok began showing signs of the sparks of being able to move again, he had gotten Shinnok a more modern bed that could be moved to allow people to be sat up, folding with them and holding them in their positions without having to fight gravity. Raiden was grateful for his own forethought as he moved the bed to press against Shinnok’s back and let him remain seated up but taking the strain off his body.

“ _Curse this damned body,_ ” Shinnok thought bitterly.

“You are moving again. Something is healing,” Raiden noted as he made sure the bed was locked before taking his seat. “Time, Shinnok.”

“ _And I have ample of it, I know,_ ” Shinnok thought with a long sigh.

“... Shinnok, if I may ask… what will you do with yourself once you can move on your own again?” Raiden asked.

“ _I am sure that nothing I want matters. Special Forces will surely come for me when that happens and there is no excuse to not hunt me down,_ ” Shinnok said as he used his powers to open his book.

“A fair point. A hypothetical question… what would you do, when you are able to move on your own and there were no restrictions to what you could do?” Raiden asked.

“... _I would look into my corruption. For something or someone to so thoroughly pollute--_ ”

“I would not be that harsh on yourself.”

“... _For something or someone to so thoroughly entrench my mind, would require a great deal of power. That is troubling. I am an Elder God, some more power and I could rightfully call myself a Titan. And there are not many who are higher than that. And if someone corrupted me, they did so for a purpose, no matter how trivial. I want to know it._ ”

“A fair point. I wish your amulet had not been destroyed when I had casted it aside, I wish I could have studied it to find out why it corrupted me as well.”

“... _You say that my amulet was ‘destroyed’ when you casted it aside?_ ”

“Yes. I do not remember much of it, but I do mostly remember taking it off as attempting to grab it did harm me. I did have several rather prominent ‘burns’ on my hand and armor when I attempted to grab it and it lashed out at me and I kept trying to pull it off. When it finally ripped it free and threw it, it hit the ground and disintegrated into black specks,” Raiden explained.

“... _Strange._ ”

“Perhaps my use of it had finally burned out what was left of the corruption?” Raiden suggested.

“... _Maybe, maybe not. Not that we will ever find out. Like I said, Special Forces will likely attempt to kill me the second I am able to move under my own free will,_ ” Shinnok thought with a grunt.

“Allow me to worry about Special Forces. If nothing else, I am hopeful that I can convince them that you may not be an ally, but you are no longer an enemy to throw themselves against. And given how close you had gotten to ending the world…”

Shinnok fell into silence.

Raiden soon followed.

* * *

At the year mark, something did happen that made Raiden hopeful that the Earthrealm team could perhaps stop seeing Shinnok as an enemy.

At this point in his recovery, Shinnok could move some on his own, at least from the waist up. He seemed to still struggle with moving his own hips, legs and feet, though if it was because his spine was still healing or if the muscles were too weak to use, Raiden was not sure. But for the most part, Shinnok could move his arms, hands, fingers all on his own and with a bit of help he could sit up. Raiden was exceptionally proud of how far he had come.

They spent a great deal of time simply talking, since Raiden stayed most of his days at the Sky Temple as he strengthened and bolstered the White Lotus once again and since Shinnok still could not move on his own much. For the sake of sanity, they avoided sensitive topics. Mostly, they spoke of things that they were reading, fragments of memories before everything happened to Shinnok, idle and safe things. Shinnok seemed grateful for the company, at least, even if he was still unable to physically speak it seemed to do him some good being able to share his thoughts via telepathy.

It struck Raiden that they were being downright civil with one another and one day he had asked Shinnok about it.

“ _I realized that there is no use being mad at you. Or myself._

“What?”

“ _I was not in control of my actions, neither were you. Not wholly. Besides that, what’s done is done. We did our evil, we did our hurt, we cannot take it back. Why linger on it?_ ”

“You… no, don’t think like that. You deserve to be mad, or sad or--”

“ _I do not want to be mad or sad or anything like that. I want to move on. You hurt me, I hurt others, neither of us can take that back. Might as well move on._ ”

“That is… that is…”

“ _Odd, I know. But with the corruption gone from my mind I find it… easier to think rationally, harder to anger over things I cannot control. Besides that, you have made a clear attempt to make wrongs right. You have helped me heal, and bore my anger well. I… I still am angry at you, and I don’t think I could trust you for some time, but you clearly are remorseful and willing to make amends. So… what can we do?_ ”

It was so odd to hear. But also made Raiden feel… better in a way. 

But neither here nor there.

At the year mark, Raiden received a call. 

“Hello, Johnny Cage, how many I help you?” Raiden said, sitting by Shinnok bed.

“Heeeey Lightning Bug, uh, okay, bear with me for a moment. We have an issue here. Nothing life-- okay well… it’s sort of is life threatening-- goddammit. Ermac’s body is rotting and we’re trying to fix it. Racoon face suggested having Shinnok ‘poke’ around in them to see if Shang left a clue in maybe Shang having a clone stockpile like he had for Mileena? I haven’t lost you?”

“Allow me… Ermac’s body is rotting. Erron Black suggested that we seek a clue within Ermac themself to see if perhaps Shang Tsung has clones of Ermac?” Raiden clarified.

“Yep!”

“And you would like Shinnok to look?”

Shinnok turned his head slightly, as much as he could, to look questioningly at Raiden.

“... Well I wouldn’t ‘like’ him too but… Racoon Face has a point…”

Raiden let the phone drop to press against his shoulder to muffle his voice.

“Did you hear that Shinnok?” Raiden asked.

“ _Yes. I am willing to help, but my powers are still weak, I am not sure how much I can help._ ”

“Thank you still,” Raiden said before lifting the phone again.

“Shinnok is willing to help, but we should not move him. Please bring Ermac over here and we will help them.”

“Can do, thanks Spark Plug!”

Several moments later, a rather large group showed up, consisting of Johnny Cage, the kombat kids, Kenshi and Ermac themself.

“Lightning Bug!” Johnny grinned as he stepped in.

“Greetings,” Raiden said, standing up and giving them all a proper bow in greeting. “I have told Shinnok.”

“Right,” Johnny said, expression clearly falling. “So, any questions, Shiny?”

“ _No, though I will admit that my powers are still extremely weak. I am not totally sure I can do what you need me to do, or if I can do it in a timely manner,_ ” Shinnok explained telepathically. He could project his voice now to others even if they did not have telepathic powers, but his voice was still so soft and weak.

“Well, we’re pretty stuck as is, so if it's a bust, we can look elsewhere,” Johnny shrugged.

“ _So nonchalant, as always. Very well. Ermac, please come closer. My powers are too weak to do this over telepathy, I am afraid skin to skin contact is needed,_ ” Shinnok said.

Raiden worriedly watched as Ermac came forward, noticing right away one of their arms was in a sling, struggling to remove a glove. Cassandra stepped up to help, struggling with a moment to free it from their armor before getting it and gagging at the smell while her eyes watered noticeably. Actually everyone frowned at the smell of rotted and desiccated flesh, but said nothing as Ermac reached out to Shinnoks’s stretched out arm and pressed their mummified fingertips into Shinnok’s palm.

Shinnok frowned and Raiden was sure that he was speaking quietly to Ermac alone, probably to provide some comfort and privacy in the matter. The group could only watch as Shinnok’s eyes flickered around as he sought within Ermac and the pinch of discomfort to Ermac’s mummified features. Raiden was going to suggest that, after a few moments of nothing, that Shinnok and Ermac take a break from the ordeal. It would do neither any good if they strained themselves.

And then Shinnok’s features pinched as well. His teeth gritted and he jerked his arm back as Ermac reeled away from the touch. Bright green soul energy came from their form, form around where Shinnok has his fingers gripped within it to--

“Oh fuck,” Cassandra muttered.

Shang Tsung in soul form, frozen and petrified. A soul trap.

When Raiden was sure that Shinnok had a grasp on it, he turned his gaze to Ermac, hunched up on the floor and breathing hard. He helped them up and sat them in his chair to give them a moment’s rest. Tired, glowing eyes found his for a moment, before he turned back to the issue currently at hand. 

“ _It is a soul trap,_ ” Shinnok confirmed, telepathically speaking to the room again. “ _It was likely meant to be used to resurrect Shang Tsung at the cost of Ermac._ ”

“Like… their life or their souls…” Kung Jin asked, clearly eyeing the soul trap with a look of slight fear. 

“ _Both. Ermac is over ten thousand souls. They are a hive-like creature. Ten thousand souls easily hold enough power to bring back Shang Tsung with enough power to be quite the threat,_ ” Shinnok explained.

“Jesus. Glad we caught that. You doing okay, Mac?” Johnny asked Ermac.

“No,” They rasped.

“Uh… sorry, friend. Um… hey Shiny, can we use this uh… soul trap thingy to find the lab?”

“ _I am checking now. I will destroy it when I am done. I doubt very likely that Shang Tsung would just let Ermac die, given how it was likely that Shang Tsung fed off their souls to power himself. It is quite likely that this would have resurrected him and sent him back to the laboratory to make a new Ermac-- found it_.”

“Cool! Where is it?” Takeda asked.

“ _... The Netherrealm._ ”

“Well… shit,” Kenshi muttered.

Raiden thought that, as far as asking for Shinnok’s help, that this was still going better than he had originally thought.


End file.
